EU Settlement Scheme: final deadline June 30

As an EU, EEA or Swiss national, you may be aware that the final deadline to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme is June 30, 2021.

If you are in the UK with another immigration status (i.e. not as an EU/EEA or Swiss national), please ignore this message.

Why should you apply for the EU Settlement Scheme?

If you are eligible the EU Settlement Scheme offers the easiest and cheapest way of ensuring your continued right to study, travel, work and remain in the UK. You do not need to be settling in the UK permanently to apply under the settlement scheme. If your application is successful you will get either ‘pre-settled’ status having resided in the UK for less than 5 years or ‘settled status’ if you have resided for five years or more.

EU/EEA and Swiss nationals can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme if they were resident and living in the UK before December 31, 2020.

See the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website for a useful explanation of how to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme

An application to the EU Settlement scheme may not be appropriate for everyone. This would be the case if, for example, you are already eligible and intending to apply to become a British national. We recommend that you check the UK Government website carefully and seek advice on your circumstances with an Immigration Specialist (i.e. a solicitor), if you will not be applying to the EU Settlement Scheme.

The EU Settlement Scheme will replace permanent residence applications. Permanent residence documents will no longer be valid after 30 June 2021. Students who have already obtained Permanent Residence as an EU/EEA or Swiss national should be aware that this status is expected to end. You will need to familiarise yourselves with the law surrounding this immigration status to decide whether you need to make an application for EU Settlement or apply to become a UK national.

What happens if you have have left the UK

If you have been living and studying outside the UK, and you are currently studying online abroad, or are on a study or work placement abroad, you can apply from overseas to the EU Settlement scheme, if you meet the eligibility requirements eu-settlement-scheme-applying-from-outside-the-uk.

Please note the guidance on absences from the UK was revised on the June 11, 2021 and you can find the revised guidance here. It is important that you have a look at this new guidance, as you could qualify for the new rules even if you did not qualify under the old guidance. If you meet the new rules you should apply as soon as possible and before the deadline on June 30, 2021.

Guidance around absences can be complex and you should seek advice about your individual circumstances (see below).

Not eligible or not applying for the EU Settlement Scheme:

If you do not apply to the EU Settlement scheme before the deadline June 30, 2021 you may not have a legal status to remain in the UK and you may be required to apply for the new Student Visa if travelling back to the UK after this date and you do not hold another immigration status which allows entry to the UK.

If you have never lived in the UK before December 31, 2020, you will need to apply for the new Student Visa to enter the UK.

When you are enrolling for September 2021 you will be asked about your status in the UK, and will need to provide either evidence of the status you received following an application to the EU Settlement Scheme (i.e pre settled or settled status), or evidence of your Student visa or evidence of any other relevant UK immigration status.

Whatever your situation, we would encourage you to look at all the information available about EU Settlement. If you are concerned about qualifying for the scheme or have questions about an absence from the UK please email [email protected] and put ‘Brexit’ as the subject header.